Pokemon Vol. #15: Charizard!

What They SayJurassic Pokemon - Plunged into a mysterious cave, Ash, Pikachu and their friends find Pokemon from prehistoric times! And what's that egg? Pikachu is sick, and the Pokemon center is closed! Will the human doctor soften his heart in time to save Pikachu? Plus, is James really a millionaire's son? Why does he hang out with the continually-poor Team Rocket? Season One, Episodes 43-45.

The Review!Filler comes in batches.

Audio:

An English language stereo track is the only soundtrack provided for the domestic release of Pokémon. Sound is directed towards the front stage and no directionality is present.

Video:

This is another fairly decent video release in the Pokémon series. Except for the artificial darkening, I could find nothing wrong with the video. No line shimmering, cross coloration, or other mpeg artifacts were present.

Packaging:

Charizard takes the center stage on the cover, spouting some flame. Pikachu is a small pudgy yellow blob next to it, and there is an Aerodactyl in the background also. The back focuses on the prehistoric Pokémon episode and shows all the prehistoric Pokémon available in that episode. Episode titles and descriptions are provided. Inside, the insert is just a picture of the main menu.

Menu:

The same familiar menu consists of just a chapter selection scene where you can select an episode, the opening, or the ending.

Extras:

Inside, we have a Pikachu Shocks Back Volume 7 mini comic.

Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)

We study the prehistoric past of Pokémon and James in the next volume of Pokémon.

A great Pokémon discovery has occurred inAttack of the Prehistoric Pokemon. After the discovery of a collection of fossils, a large group of enthusiasts head to the dig site to find some of the fossils. Even Gary has joined in on the rush. Our gang follows everyone else like sheep, and Team Rocket can?t seem to turn this down either. They set up some dynamite to blow up a segment of the dig site to prevent everyone else from searching the area. Ash tries to stop the explosion but ends up trapped with Team Rocket underground in a cavern. They don?t find any fossilized prehistoric Pokémon, but actual prehistoric Pokémon who don?t like these new intruders instead. Charmelon still won?t listen to Ash either, and it seems to be the only Pokémon who is strong enough to fight the prehistoric Pokémon.

A Chansey Operation begins with Pikachu getting ill, and Ash has no idea what?s wrong with it. There?s no Pokémon center nearby, so they bring it to a regular human hospital. The doctor wants to turn them away, but Misty helps by being a little charming. Eventually, the doctor cures Pikachu, but has no more interest in them. Afterwards, there is a traffic incident involving a large number of Pokémon, and the Pokémon Center in the town can?t handle all the victims. Nurse Joy calls the hospital to take care of some of the victims, and the doctor eventually agrees. Ash, Misty, and Brock get recruited to help take care of the numerous victims.

Our misadventures in Holy Matrimony begin with some posters of a child that looks like James of Team Rocket being posted in the area. The child?s parents have recently died, and the holders of the estate are looking for the child so that he can inherit the estate. Jesse forces James to go back home in order to collect the money, but it all turns out to be a ploy. James? parents are alive, and they?ve only tricked James to come back in order to marry him off to a girl named Jezebel. Now, James has to decide, does he want a life of luxury, or will he stay in Team Rocket.

Another volume of Pokémon, and we?re not any closer to Ash getting the rest of the badges he needs to enter the tournament. The Prehistoric Pokémon episode provides an opportunity to show off some of the very rare Pokémon available in the Gameboy game. Chansey Operation is pure filler, and Holy Matrimony is a fun little romp with James. It?s the evolution of Charizard that will carry on to future episodes. Ash will have his hands full with that beast. Again, this is a DVD only for the serious Pokémon collector.